USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1704 to 1876, including Grafton until 1735, Millbury until 1813 and parts of Northbridge, Upton and Auburn > Part 64
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138. Leonard, b. Aug. 1, 1792; m. Apr. 14, 1814, Elizabeth Woodbury, No. 100; he was a scythe maker; d. in Cambridge, July 24, 1875. Ch .-
181. Eliza Ann, b. Sept. 19, 1821; m. at Medway, Jan. 22, 1840, Edwin Fairbanks, living in Cambridgeport.
139. Asa, b. Aug. 21, 1794; m. Oct. 10, 1821, Lucy, dau. of Israel and Joanna (Dodge) Adams, b. Jan. 23, 1800; d. July 13, 1862; he was engaged in manufacturing scythes and spindles till 1831, when he built a mill and engaged in manufacturing woolen goods; was prominent as a public man, and held the office of representative; d. Oct. 22, 1865. Ch .-
182. Mary Chase, b. Aug. 23, 1823; d. Sept. 17, 1826.
183. Mary Chase, b. Nov. 23, 1827; m. Aug. 26, 1845, Silas Taft Servey, a carpenter ; they are now living in Wilkinsonville.
184. Martha Giles, b. May 17, 1834; m. Oct. 25, 1853, John P. Stockwell, a farmer; they live in Sutton.
VIII. 145. Thomas Beaman, b. Mar. 21, 1814; m. Nov. 26, 1845, Roxa, dau. of Samuel and Hannah Morse, b. Mar. 11, 1815; a farmer living in Sutton. Ch .-
185. John Francis, b. Mar. 19, 1849 (see below).
186. George Edward, b. Mar. 23, 1853; d. May 31, 1853.
187. Julia Elizabeth, b. July 27, 1854; living in Sutton.
188. Emily Maria, b. Nov. 2, 1856; living in Sutton.
189. Sarah Jane, b. Sept. 23, 1858; d. July 22, 1868.
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171. Charles, b. June 4, 1816; m. 1st, May 3, 1838, Catherine Bird, b. Aug. 25, 1812; d. Apr. 10, 1845; m. 2d, May 4, 1848, Jerusha Nichols Merriam, b. Aug. 3, 1824; lives on the farm formerly occupied by Col. Timothy Sibley, having been in the Woodbury family since 1800. Ch .-
190. John Lovell, b. Sept. 6, 1839; enlisted in the late war and d. of sick- ness at Newbern, N. C .. June 24, 1863.
191. Susan Catherine, b. Apr. 24, 1843; m. Feb. 9, 1876, William Warren of Paxton.
192. Benjamin, b. Apr. 24, 1843; d. Apr. 24, 1843.
193. Nathan Charles, b. Feb. 4, 1845; d. Sept. 18, 1848.
194. George Franklin, b. Oct. 16, 1851.
194. Charles Nathaniel, b. Oct. 9, 1855; living at home.
195. Ella Jerusha, b. Dec. 4, 1861; living at home.
IX. 185. John Francis, b. Mar. 19, 1849; in. June 1, 1871, Louisa Maria, dau. of Austin Leland; farmer and mechanic, living in Sutton. Ch .-
196. Jennie Louisa, b. Aug. 26, 1872.
197. Cora Frances, b. Oct. 28, 1875.
198. Edward B. Woodbury; m. Mary B. Norbury; he was a farmer, but where he came from or what became of him is not known; the births of two of his children are recorded.
199. George Washington Carroll, b. Feb. 6, 1846.
200. Jacob Benson, b. June 17, 1848.
SLAVERY IN SUTTON.
None of the families of the town, with one exception, held a slave.
The exception was that of Rev. Dr. David Hall, who owned, or supposed he owned, one whom he had a right to sell. The following receipt was found among his papers.
" Whereas on the forth day of December 1741 David Hall of Sutton Clerk in Consideration of One Hundred and twenty pounds in old Tenor bills which I paid him, sold me a molatto man named Peter a servant for life, after- wards it appearing that the said Peter then was a free man and no servant, I being about to bring an action of the case for the recovery of damages of him the sd David Hall, he the sd David Hall offered to Return me the money , that he recieved of me as aforesd, and accordingly paid me the same, which I do accept in full satisfaction of all Demands that I have against the sd Hall for Damages that I have sustained by his selling me the sd Peter for a slave when he was freeman. witness my hand and seal this 11th Day of July 1748.
EBEN'R DAGGET, Jun'r FOLLANSBEE CHASE.
ISAAC BARNARD." [Seal.]
It has upon the back the following endorsement :
" Barnard's clearance of damages for selling him Peter Isaac as I had of Mr. Chase."
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THOMAS BLANCHARD.
BY COL. ASA H. WATERS.
A cartoon, entitled "Men of Progress," was published in Philadelphia, by Munn and Company, in 1863, on which are represented the most distinguished American inventors of the present century, and among them may be found a good picture of the late Thomas Blanchard. No one in that galaxy of geniuses more justly deserves the honor. Some of them, such as Morse, McCormick, Howe and Goodyear, have made single inventions which have perhaps attracted more public notice than any one of Blanchard's, but it may be questioned whether another inventor can be named in this country or in Europe, during the last century, who has produced so many different labor-saving machines, applicable to such a great variety of uses, and which have contributed so largely to the common necessities, comforts and economies of life. This language may seem extravagant, but it must be remem- bered that not an armory exists in this country or in England where guns are made-hardly a human being that wears boots or shoes-scarcely a vessel that sails upon the ocean - not a school where slates are used-not a carpet laid down, but that owes tribute to the genius of Thomas Blanchard for producing articles cheaper and better. The same may be said of carriage wheels, plows, shovels, and various articles of furniture. Latterly, his machines have been applied to carving, to architectural designs and even to statuary-much to the surprise of artists. Indeed, there seems to be no limit to the uses made of Blanchard's inven- tions, and it is impossible at present to enumerate them. One can hardly go into a tool shop, a machine shop or a workshop of any kind, wood or iron, where motive power is used, in which he will not find more or less of Blanchard's mechanical motions.
Thomas Blanchard was born in Sutton, June 24, 1788. His father, Samuel, was a farmer, and lived on a poor, remote strip of land, where there was absolutely nothing to suggest a mechanical motion. He was of French origin, his name being derived from the French word Blanchir (to
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whiten), and many distinguished men appear in the annals of France bearing that name. The neighboring town of Oxford was settled by a colony of French Huguenots, who fled there from persecution. The Huguenots were mostly devoted to the mechanic and manufacturing arts, and they formerly held such a monopoly of them in Europe that even England sent to them her wool to be dyed, spun and woven.
Thomas Blanchard having descended from this stock, his genius may be said to be hereditary and legitimate.
Much dispute has arisen as to his nativity and the honors of his inventions.
. It is recorded in history that seven cities of Greece con- tended and actually waged war for the honor of being the birthplace of Homer. Six claimants for the honor of Blan- chard's inventions have already appeared, viz : Sutton, Mill- bury, Oxford, Springfield, Boston, and lastly, France. That he was born .on a strip of land lying between Sutton town- ship and Oxford proper, called " Oxford Gore," all agree. The very house is still pointed out.
Sutton bases her claim upon the following facts : That said strip projects or gores into, in a zigzag course, her terri- tory as defined on ancient maps by straight lines ; that her records show that Samuel Blanchard paid his taxes to Sut- ton, and must have voted there if anywhere ; that the births of most of his children are recorded there, all which would seem to establish the citizenship of the father in Sutton, and that would of course carry the birthplace of the children. Besides, it is well known that Thomas, who ought to know, always told his biographers that he was born in Sutton, and they have so recorded.
While on the farm, Thomas gave little if any promise of the latent powers within him. There was nothing in his surroundings to excite them. He was misplaced ; school's were remote, and he seldom attended, for he was afflicted with a perverse impediment of speech, so that the boys called him " stammering Tom." His prospects were anything but promising. At length, when he had arrived at the age of eighteen years, his eldest brother, Stephen, started in West Millbury a tack factory, with horse power, and he promoted
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his unfortunate brother to the position of heading them in a vise, with a hand-hammer, one by one. Once in a mechanic shop his dormant genius began to wake up. In formation of mind he might be compared to " Blind Thom," the slave musician of New Orleans. That Thom seems to have had all his mental faculties condensed or concentrated into the one organ of music, in which he was a prodigy that excited the wonder of the world-in other faculties he was deficient -almost an imbecile. Blanchard Thom had his faculties concentrated in constructiveness, and although not so defi- cient in other faculties as "Blind Thom," he seemed so to strangers from his inveterate stammering. This he overcame. in after years.
Ere that youth had spent many months heading tacks, one by one, he had designed, constructed and put in operation a·machine which would cut and head them at one motion twice as fast as the ticking of a watch, and better finished than those made by hand. So perfect was it in design and construction, it was continued in use more than twenty years. It 'is said to be still in existence, and experts who have seen it, say no essential improvement has ever been made upon it. -
His neighbors could not at first be made to believe he originated it; they thought he must have stolen the design somewhere ; but when they found he had hardly been out of the school district, they were constrained to give him the credit.
In the same town, Millbury, at a few miles distance, and upon the Blackstone river, were the armory works of Asa Waters, then largely engaged in manufacturing fire-arms for the United States. Mr. Waters was then engaged in making improvements upon the English mode of making the gun- barrels, which was to weld them by hand and then grind them down before a revolving stone. He first invented a process of welding them by water power under trip-hammers, in which he succeeded perfectly (patented Oct. 25, 1817). He next invented a machine for turning the barrels, so as to leave the metal of uniform thickness around the calibre
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(patented Dec. 19, 1818), for in grinding, while one side would often be left: too thick, the other would be too thin, and this made them liable to explode.
He succeeded in turning them so far as they were round, but to turn the irregular shape of the butt baffled all his efforts, and so it did the efforts of the most ingenious mechanics in the national armories. At length, having heard of a young man living on Grass Hill, now West Millbury, as having developed some inventive talent, he sent for, him. to come to his armory. When he came he seemed an utter stranger to all present, uncouth, diffident, had a stammering tongue, and little was expected of him.
He was shown the machine and given to understand what was wanted.
Glancing his eye over the machine, he very soon suggested an additional, very simple, but wholly original, cam motion, which, upon being applied, was found to relieve the diffi- culty, and proved a perfect success. Mr. Waters was delighted. Turning to Thomas, he said, " Well, Thomas, I don't know what you won't do next. I should not be surprised if you turned a gun-stock !" naming that as the most impossible thing in mechanics he could, think of: Thomas hesitated a moment, then stammered out, " We-we- well, I-I'll t-t-try that." Whereupon the workmen, who had gathered round, burst into a loud guffaw at the absurd- ity of the idea. The germ of the stocking machine lay in that cam motion, and it was then and there, as he afterwards said, that the idea of his world-renowned machine for turning irregular forms first flashed through his mind, although it required some months to elaborate and bring it out.
As soon as he had completed his cam motion at Millbury, he was called to Springfield to adjust similar motions in the United States armory there. On a return journey, when passing through. Brimfield, solitary and alone in his carriage, in deep meditation, he was heard to exclaim with great glee, like Archimedes of old, "I've got it ! I've got it ! I've got it !" Two men who were by the wayside overheard him, and one says to the other, "I guess that man is crazy."
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This cam motion was introduced into all the armories in the United States, has been in use ever since, and as it saves at least a half dollar on every gun, some estimate may be formed of its value to the country. But so far as we can learn, Blanchard himself never realized much, if anything, from it.
He sold out his tack machine for five thousand dollars, a mere bagatelle, considering its worth, but a vast fortune to him then. He built a work-shop, filled it with tools, and kept himself locked in for about two years. At last he emerged and brought to the armory of Asa Waters a minia- ture model of his stocking machine, and it operated so well that a full-sized working machine was decided upon. Blan- chard called in the aid of other mechanics, and built his first machine in Millbury. In the meantime the fame of it had reached Washington, and the war department were desirous of having it launched into notice from the national armory ·at Springfield. Blanchard, feeling a just pride in this recog- nition of his great invention, ordered it to be sent there. It was carted by a three-horse team, and the man still lives who drove the team." After it had remained there long enough to build a new one, it was carted back to Millbury, bought by Mr. Waters, and set up in his armory, where it was continued in operation for twenty-five years.
These details are given for the reason that for some years Springfield armory has assumed the whole credit of bring- ing out, and sometimes of originating this great invention, and in all the accounts emanating thence, Sutton, Millbury and Mr. Waters' armory are wholly ignored, and their names not even mentioned ; when in fact Springfield armory had no more to do in originating that invention than Wool- wich, England. That they have made improvements upon it will not be denied.
Blanchard was called to Springfield armory with his machine, and given the whole charge of stocking the guns. He pro- ceeded to expand and extend the principle of his machine,
* Horace Waters,
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first to letting in the barrel, then the mounting, and finally the lock, which the old stockers said could not be done by machinery ; but he did so do it, and did it better than the oldest expert. After he had mastered the whole job by machinery, he left the armory and devoted himself to other projects, with which his mind was teeming.
His machine was soon brought into requisition in making shoe lasts, which were difficult to make, seldom uniform in shape, and quite expensive. They are now made by this machine by the million, made perfectly, rights and lefts, and at trifling cost. It was next applied to tackle-blocks, wheel- spokes, ox-yokes, and so on ad infinitum, from that day to this.
It will thus be seen that this invention has proved to be . far more than the invention of a single machine for a single purpose, like the revolver, the reaper, the sewing machine, etc., and is largely relied upon in the building of those and other patented machines. It was really the discovery of a new principle in mechanics whereby the machine is made the obedient, faithful servant of man to work out his designs after any given model, be it round or square, crooked or straight, however irregular, and made to reproduce the orig- inal shape exactly, every time. This perfect uniformity of Blanchard's work suggested the idea of having all the parts of the guns made at the armories perfectly uniform, so as to be interchangeable. Hitherto they had been fitted separately, like Swiss watches, and carefully lettered or numbered. This was the method in all our workshops, even to the bolts of a carriage or a common bedstead, and woe to him who misplaced one.
The war department, impressed with the importance of having the guns so made that after a battle the broken ones could be readjusted, ordered the Springfield armory to make all the parts interchangeable. At first the mechanics said it was impossible, especially of the lock. The department insisted on the attempt. Finally, after two years' effort, the thing was accomplished. Lettering and numbering were abolished ; all the components, even of the lock, were got
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out in large numbers and thrown together indiscriminately. Thus was inaugurated the " uniformity system," so called, in the shops-a system which has produced a marked advance along the whole line of mechanic arts, and forms an era, the greatest probably since the introduction of the steam engine. It has revolutionized mechanic processes in all our workshops ; perfected and greatly cheapened mechanic pro- ducts, and driven from use the old system of numbering.
A good illustration of the advantages of the system is furnished by the Waltham Watch Company. There, a watch as perfect as could be made was first obtained for a model ; machinery was fitted up to make each part exactly like it; the parts were made by the thousand, put together into watches by experts, and the whole cost of each, aside from cases, was about three dollars. As time-keepers they are . rarely surpassed.
It is not claimed that the whole credit of the ": uniformity system " should be given to Blanchard. Other machines, especially the milling machine, and many skilled mechanics, have contributed largely towards it. But to Blanchard belongs the credit of being its forerunner and suggester, and the system could not now be carried on a day in the armories and many other shops without his motions.
.For this great invention, whose worth to this country and Europe can only be computed in millions, Blanchard himself received but a meagre compensation. For the first two terms of his patent he was continually harassed by infringe- · ments and law suits, and even in the few years while he was busy at the armory, more than fifty violators had pirated his invention and started up works in various parts of the coun- try for making lasts, spokes, etc.
Combined and repeated efforts were made to break down his, patent. Eminent counsel were employed, and all Europe was scoured to find some evidence of a similar motion. But in no age or country could a trace be found of a revolving cutter, working to a given model, like Blanchard's.
In the lower courts, before juries not comprehending mechanics, he sometimes lost a case ; but in the final appeal
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at Washington he invariably gained his case; so that his claim to originality is now founded upon a rock, which naught can move. Beaten in court, the last makers retreated to the forests of Maine, and there pursued their illicit trade. Blanchard at last ferreted them out of their hiding places and they fled over the line into Canada. Here they run their machines fearlessly, made: lasts by the million, and exported them to the United States free of duty. He then appealed to Congress, and after much delay, got heavy duties imposed on their importation, and thus effectually stopped that leak.
When the second term of his patent had nearly expired, he said he had expended a hundred thousand dollars in defending his right, and had realized 'to himself little more than " his board and clothes ; " that is to say, a fair living. A third term was unprecedented on any patent. Blanchard knowing that great opposition would be made to another renewal, thought he would resort to a little stratagem. He fitted up a machine for turning busts from marble blocks, took it to Washington, obtained plaster casts of the heads of Webster, Clay, Calhoun and others, and exhibited the busts in the rotunda of the capitol. The members were quite astonished when they found that these busts were wrought out by a machine, and that they were more exactly like the originals than any human hand could make them. It produced a great sensation. They all supposed it a new invention. Blanchard said no; not a new invention, but a new application of an old one of mine from which I have never realized much, and I want the patent renewed.
A resolution was introduced into the senate, by Webster, to renew it for a term of years-some members wanted it for life-and it was rushed through without delay. Choate, then a member, made the witty remark, " that Blanchard had ' turned the heads' of Congress and gained his point.'"
While in Springfield he invented a new construction of the steamboat, whereby it was made to tide over rapids and shallow waters. By this means some of our western rivers
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have been made navigable hundreds of miles further up, and thus a great national advantage obtained.
Having completed this and some other new designs, he removed to Boston, purchased a house, and there spent his remaining days. But his genius was not idle. It was always on the alert for some new discovery. Having noticed the great difficulty experienced by shipbuilders in obtaining timber, grown to the right angle for knees of vessels, he proceeded to devise a process to bend it to any angle required. It was no new thing to steam and bend small timber, such as plough handles, but under the old process the fibres of the wood on the outer circle were so broken as to greatly weaken the timber. The point to be achieved was, to have the timber retain its full natural strength after being bent. This he attained so perfectly that he could bend a shingle to a right angle and leave it as strong at the angle as in any part.
This improvement, like that of eccentric turning, was immediately brought into requisition for a great variety of purposes, such as school slates, wheel fellies, which were formerly in four sections, now in one strip bent to a circle, arm chairs, shovel handles, and so on ad infinitum.
Though not so important an invention as eccentric turn- ing, Blanchard realized far more profit from it. He sold one right for shipbuilding for $150,000, and on school slates he received five per centum on amount of sales, and his com- missions amounted to over two thousand dollars a year for a term of years.
Wishing to visit Europe, he decided to attend the great "Exposition Universelle" of 1867, at Paris, and he took along some of his machines, one of which was for turning marble busts. He obtained plaster casts of Louis Napoleon, Eugenie, Thiers and other notabilities, and so contrived his machine that it would turn busts, life-size or any size down to miniatures. If there was surprise in Washington, there was perfect astonishment in Paris. Nothing in the exposi- tion excited so much curiosity and wonder. Artists and
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sculptors especially were greatly excited, fearing that their vocation was gone and they supplanted by a machine.
. M. Coquerel, chairman of the board of judges, who drew up the final report of the exposition, made prominent men- tion of this machine, and it concluded in these words :
" This wonderful machine was invented by a Frenchman, named Blanchard, who is now living in America " !
Blanchard made many other inventions of more or less utility, on which he took out twenty-four patents, but enough have been named to attest his wonderful genius in mechanics.
As he advanced in years, his other mental faculties gradu- ally developed, so that at last he attained a fairly well balanced mind.
Blanchard was often heard to say that " being in New York attending to a patent right suit, Woodworth, whom he knew very well, came to him to consult him about a machine he was trying to get up to plane boards, and said he failed to get a planing tool to work on cross-grained timber; that I told him to use my revolving cutter, which would relieve his difficulty, and as he was a friend of mine, he might have the use of it for nothing."
This statement seems highly probable from the fact that up to the time of the gunstock machine, the revolving cutter was unknown in this country. We are therefore led to con- clude that Blanchard, in an unguarded moment, gave to his friend as a gratuity a right which afterwards proved to be worth at least a million of dollars, and that to him belongs the chief credit of bringing into successful operation the famous " Woodworth planer," in which the revolving cutter is an essential part.
When the news was first proclaimed from Springfield of a machine running there which turned gun-stocks, it was gen- erally discredited. Mechanics soon came flocking from far and near to sec the mechanical phenomenon. Among others attracted by it, were two members of the British Parliament, then traveling in this country. When they returned to England they reported the wonderful invention of Blan- chard, by which the Americans were getting greatly in
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advance of them in gun manufacture, and moved a resolu- tion for the purchase of similar machines. A true John Bull member then arose and ridiculed them unmercifully for being so badly sold and played upon by the cunning Yan- kees. "The very idea of turning a gunstock is absurd on the face of it, as all must know who ever saw one." Finding the resolution would fail, the two members withdrew it, and moved for a committee to go to the United States armory and, report upon, the facts. This committee came over, examined, the workings of the machine, returned and reported. the facts to be as at first stated. The doubting Thomas rose and said the Americans might have got up something to work their soft woods, pine and poplar, but it would never stand the test of "our tough English oak and hickory." Upon this, doubting Thomas himself was chosen a committee to go over and examine. He was not to be imposed upon : he would expose this humbug. Selecting three rough stocks of the hardest, toughest timber he could find, he went to the Springfield armory. incognito, brought his stocks to, the stocking-room, and enquired of the over- seer if he would grant him the favor of turning them. " Certainly, sir, take a seat." Without making the least alteration of the machine, the overseer run. the stocks through in a few, minutes, and then went. on with his work as though nothing unusual had happened. The Englishman examined the stocks, found they were turned all the better for being of hard wood, and, he was completely dumb- founded. After musing a while, he frankly confessed who he was, why he came, and his thorough conviction of the utility of the machine.
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